Is consumerism killing the Church?
What contribution can theological reflection make concerning consumerism in church and society?
It could easily be determined that today’s society is being consumed by consumerism. Each day we are inundated with options for purchase and the ability to make the purchases happen even if we do not physically have the money currently to do so. This reality is present daily within the confines of every mailbox. Sadly, consumerism fosters the belief that happiness and contentment depends largely on the degree of personal consumption. “Socially, the consumer society today is really a result of individualism and the belief that the individual has the right to consume and use whatever they want.”[1] This reality has also infected the life and ministries of the church, the very institution who could offer a positive contribution toward this issue.
We need to define and interpret consumerism as a movement within society and religion, and the contribution theological reflection can make concerning consumerism in church and society. To begin, a consumer is defined by Merriam-Webster as one that consumes; as one that utilizes economic goods; less helpful for our context but very interesting nonetheless, a consumer is also an organism requiring complex organic compounds for food, which it obtains by preying on other organisms or by eating particles of organic matter. “A consumerist society is one in which people devote a great deal of time, energy, resources and thought to “consuming.” The general view of life in a consumerist society is that consumption is good, and more consumption is even better.”[2] The United States would be an example of a “hyper-consumerist society.” In this context people’s daily lives are surrounded by advertisements seeking to make them purchase their product.
Consumerism is the promotion of the consumer’s interests; the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable; or a preoccupation with and an inclination toward the buying of consumer goods. Consumerism can also be defined as a movement or policies aimed at regulating the products, services, methods, and standards of manufactures, sellers, and advertisers in the interests of the one making the purchase. Such regulation can by institutional, statutory, or embodied in a voluntary code adopted by a particular industry, or it may result indirectly from the influence of consumer organizations.[3]
Consumerism “is occasionally used to denote the consumer movement and advocacy on behalf of consumers vis-à-vis the producers of consumer products. The term is also infrequently used to refer to the economic theory that maintains the growth of consumption is always good for an economy.”[4] Usually, in spite of all this, consumerism is deplored as a significant behavioral flaw in modern industrial society. Consumerism is compared with addiction, as it implies an inordinate concern with the accumulating, consumption, and owning of material goods and services. Implied within consumerism is “foolishness, selfishness, individualism, possessiveness and covetousness.”[5] This interpretation reveals that society as a whole has chosen the path of selfishness and greed.
Some have suggested that consumerism is the essential component to the modern capitalistic economy’s sensational spread of production. Seen from this perspective consumerism is driven by producers and advertisers. The result is a never-ending need for mass-produced consumer goods. Consumer credit is ever available and constantly promoted, and often financed by manufactures.
Consumerism can be understood as an essential means of defining class and status lines in modern industrial civilization. Therefore and individual by consuming could identify with a particular group, as a status symbol. As society constantly changes so does class and status therefore new consumer products and services are always being introduced and marketed so people will consume new and more products. This perspective leans away from greed and selfishness more toward a keeping up with the Jones’ interpretation.
Another perspective is a blending of the other perspectives and sees consumerism as a behavioral reflection essential of a new kind of culture. The new cultural needs, becomes the cultures religion. “Advertisers and other specialists have become priestly mediators of new, and predominantly materialistic, virtues and values.”[6] In the end it all boils down to a romantic ethic where the individual is driven by instant gratification, the driving force of this new kind of culture.
Christopher Kiesling offers an example defining what the contrast of consumerism would be. He defines it as, “An economic system and related mentality and tendency to produce goods and services to satisfy the basic human needs of an ever wider circle of human beings before increasing the level of physical convenience and comfort of a relatively small population, or a system to produce and consume material goods and services with primary concern for conserving natural resources and environment for needs of future generations.”[7] This type of consumerism moves beyond individualism to a concern for all peoples and the environment. This definition includes an element of justice to those who purchase and consume goods beyond just meeting basic individual needs.
I am a pastor within the United Methodist Church and I support our stance on consumption; which offers a beneficial word to our discussion. Within the Social Principles of The Book of Discipline ‘Consumption’ it states, “Consumers should exercise their economic power to encourage the manufacture of goods that are necessary and beneficial to humanity while avoiding the desecration of the environment in either production or consumption. Consumers should avoid purchasing products made in conditions where workers are being exploited because of their age, gender, or economic status.”[8]
It goes on to recommend buying “fair-trade” items. The principle then mentions that consumers should measure their consumption in light of the need for enhanced quality of life rather than never ending production of material goods. The discipline calls on those who consume, including the local congregation and church related institutions, to the task of systematizing to achieve the stated goals promoting life and freedom and to show dissatisfaction with harmful economic, social, or ecological practices by the appropriate methods of boycott, letter writing, corporate resolution, and advertisement.
Christians aren’t immune to the powerful lure of consumerism either. Banks and Stevens claim that the rise of denominationalism, and the current rise of religious plurality have created a situation where Christians are “increasingly encouraged to ‘shop for,’ and so to be consumers of, religion itself.”[9] The unfortunate consuming of religion would imply that an essential transformation in the meaning of religious belief has less and less to do with conviction and more with personal freedom and choice.
I recently found a picture and posted it to Facebook for review, questioning, comments, and fun that I feel captures the current state of the church and consumerism. The picture is of a church sign; the title of the church is ‘Consumerist Church of the Sacred Demographics.’ Beneath the name of the church was the weekly schedule: Seniors Gospel Hour at 7 am, Gregorian Chant Liturgy at 8 am, Contemporary Suburban Worship at 9am, Hip Hop Praise Jam! 10 at am, X-Treme Youth Service at 11:00 am, Mystic Journey: The Worship Experience at 2 pm, Holy Spirit Freestyle at 3 pm. At the bottom of the sign listed the week’s message: “God Has A Wonderful Cafeteria Plan For Your Life.”
As silly as this picture is it happens to be exactly the way most approach church life. The argument is that the church needs to offer something for all types of interests. If we can do this people will find their niche that they connect with, so therefore, the church should do all in its power to create a place for everyone’s niche. The result is a consumer driven, “church shopping” culture.
On the dilemma of “church shopping,” Hank Hanegraaf “The Bible Answer Man” says, “we know we have discovered a good church if God is worshiped in Spirit and in truth through prayer, praise, and the proclamation of the Word; if the oneness we share in Christ is tangibly manifested through community, confession, and contribution; and if the church is equipping its members as witnesses who can communicate what they believe, why they believe, and Who they believe.”[10] These are signs of a church who hasn’t been impacted by culture but who are impacting the culture through the power of God given to the church. Where this isn’t true you find worship replaced with entertainment, and fellowship changed into individualism.
Churches have recapitulated to our culture. We have become a microcosm of culture by failing to be salt and light. It is as if comfort takes precedence over revival. It has been easier for the church to change belief by repackaging ourselves for the sake of easy convenient consumption. Evidence of this move is the current type of religious marketplace where religious consumers are offered a buffet of religious alternatives. Church shopping has replaced faithfulness to tradition, and left the church with the results of widespread deterioration of denominational and congregational loyalty.
Madonna proudly sang of being a material girl in 1985, some Christians undoubtedly saw this as a construal of her identity in terms of possessions. “Still, Christian patterns of consumption are often indistinguishable from those of people without any particular religious affiliation. Popular authors smilingly justify contemporary consumptive patterns by calling it, ‘your best life now’ or ‘breaking through to the blessed life.’ These prosperity theologians play into the extant consumerist value system by selectively appealing to Old Testament promises, while ignoring prophetic invectives against the wealthy and wisdom teachings that laud the piety of the poor.”[11]
Aside from the many theological reasons to critique consumerism the definition alone is enough to cause concern for this type of behavior. To consume is “to burn,” “to exhaust,” and “to destroy completely.”[12] It should be our task from a Christian perspective to respond to consumerism with the Lord’s help if for no other reason than to help keep humanity from consuming/destroying itself. Banks and Stevens uses Wendell Berry’s example for our first concern, “to resist the language, the ideas, and the categories of this ubiquitous sales talk, no matter from whose mouth it issues.” A helpful comparison for the church is to view the modern obsession with possessions, and grasping for gain with the Christian way of living that promotes gratitude, generosity, and love.
The Scriptures, God’s word, calls us to view our lives from the perspective of stewardship with gratitude realizing that our lives are a gift from God for God’s purposes of creation. This perspective naturally leads to generous living motivated by love for God and love for our neighbor. Jesus told His disciples not to worry or be anxious for the things of this world, “sell your possessions and give to the poor, make for yourselves purses which do not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys,” (Luke 12:33).
Jesus gave the disciples a new commandment to love one another. As we see the church birthed at Pentecost and begin to grow this became an identifying characteristic of Christians, they were known by love, they lived by faith in God and not in their possessions, and they became vessels of hope for the world.
All Christians are familiar with the Biblical mandate to go into the world making disciples, preaching, teaching, and baptizing (Matt. 28:19-20). The temptation is to follow the North American capitalistic approach; which essentially says if certain things work in one place, then the obvious answer is to copy those methods for all churches, package it and franchise how to be the church.
The Bible teaches a different approach: care about people first and foremost at all costs. The franchise approach cares only for methods and results first. Any church no matter the demographic can focus first on people, creatively and particular to their communities utilizing available resources. The church would benefit from doing one thing well and do it often, make disciples of Jesus Christ for the sake of transforming the world.
I have made the case that there are contributions that theological reflection can make concerning consumerism in church and society. Our task now as believers, the theologians, by God’s power is to go live by faith, be known by love, good deeds, and offer hope to a lost and broken world.
[1] Edgar, Brian. (2012, May) Janis, Freedom and Society On Janis Joplin and “Freedom’s just another word for nothing’ left to lose” Asbury Theological Seminary
[2] Norton, August. Contemporary American Society, Consumerism, Aug. 2009 www.ssc.wisc.edu. Accessed 05/14/13.
[3] Merriam-webster.com//consumer; consumerism retrieved 05/11/13 www.merriam-webster.com
[4] Banks, Robert & Stevens, Paul. The Complete Book of Everyday Christianity (Downers Grove Intervarsity Press, 1997) P. 220
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Kiesling, Christopher. Source: Liturgy and Consumption Worship, 52 no 4 Jl 1978, p 359-368. Article, ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, accessed 05/15/13.
[8] The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, ¶ 163 Social Principles (Nashville: The UM Pub. House 2012) P.129-130
[9] Ibid. P. 221
[10] Hanegraaf, Hank. How Do I Find a Good Church? Counterfeit Revival. Article. www.equip.org accessed 03/15/13.
[11] Hays, Christopher M. Source: Beyond mint and rue: the implications of Luke's interpretive controversies for modern consumerism, PoliticalTheology, 11 no 3 My 2010, p 383-398. Publication Type: Article. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, accessed 05/14/13.
[12] Ibid. P. 222
